Few games are as influential to the modern gaming world as King's Field, From Software's 1994 PlayStation 1 dungeon crawler. Almost every game in From Software's catalog owes something to King's Field. The studio iterated on King's Field's dark fantasy setting, unrelenting difficulty, and hands-off storytelling until eventually spawning Demon's Souls and, most recently, Elden Ring. Without King's Field, there is no Armored Core, Sekiro, or any of the vast swathes of games from other studios inspired by From Software's now-prolific catalog.

King's Field is also notable for bridging the gap between console and computer RPGs that existed in the early '90s. King's Field blended the real-time combat, free-roam first-person movement, and player-driven exploration of '90s PC dungeon crawlers like Ultima Underworld with the streamlined role-playing mechanics and minimalist storytelling of early console RPGs like Dragon Quest. The result is a wholly unique RPG unlike any game before it--or after it, for that matter.

Yet, despite its importance, few people know of King's Field today, and even fewer have played it or its sequels and spin-offs.